In this lesson students will learn what factors determine the brightness of a star and how astronomers determine the brightness of a star through magnitudes. Students will learn about the system astronomers use to classify stars based on their brightness. Students will also learn about apparent and absolute magnitudes through a demonstration using flashlights.
Students will learn how astronomers measure the distance between celestial objects by parallax. To understand the parallax effect students will determine the parallax of an object in the classroom from various distances by measuring the distance between the observer and the object in addition to the distance between two objects.
Students will learn how to determine a star's temperature based on looking at the color it displays. Students will learn how stars are classified in spectral classes based on their color and temperatures. By the end of this lesson students will be able classify stars based on these properties.
Students will work in groups to research one of three stellar life cycles (light mass, medium mass, heavy mass). Groups will present their life cycle to the class as a PowerPoint presentation. After, students will compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the three life cycles and their stages.
In this lesson a KWL chart will be used to investigate black holes. Students will fill out the K and W sections at the beginning of the class. After they will view an online module about black holes. Once students are done viewing the module they will fill in the L section of their chart and rewrite any false statements (misconceptions) they made in the K section with an explanation as to why it is false.
Students will learn how astronomers use H-R diagrams to classify stars through an online simulation demonstration. The simulation will show students the relationships between a star’s characteristics, how to read an H-R Diagram, and how to identify the different types of stars based on their characteristics and placements on the plot.
*Inquiry Lesson*
In this lesson students are going to learn about what makes a planet habitable for life and how the area of habitability around a star can vary with the star’s luminosity. Students will read an article about our Sun since we live within the habitable zone of this star. After, students will conduct an experiment where they are going to investigate the “Habitable Zone” for three stars (light bulbs) with different luminosities (wattages). From this experiment they will be expected to determine how the luminosity of the star can affect the size of the habitable zone of the planets around it.
In this lesson students will observe the movement of stars around the North Star and learn how the North Star can be used in navagation. Students will also make an astrolabe to observe the North Star and determine at what latitude they are at on Earth and the altitude of celestial objects in the sky.
Sequence of Lessons
In this lesson students are going to learn about what makes a planet habitable for life and how the area of habitability around a star can vary with the star’s luminosity. Students will read an article about our Sun since we live within the habitable zone of this star. After, students will conduct an experiment where they are going to investigate the “Habitable Zone” for three stars (light bulbs) with different luminosities (wattages). From this experiment they will be expected to determine how the luminosity of the star can affect the size of the habitable zone of the planets around it.